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Maine Car Accident Attorneys
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Maine Car Accident attorneys helping victims recover fair compensation.
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Before you can get a driver’s license, you have to prove that you understand and respect the rules of the road. If you can’t show proficiency in driving, the state of Maine will deny you a license. However, just because a person can drive safely doesn’t necessarily mean that they will.
Every day, countless people in Maine drive carelessly, whether by speeding, being too tired, or texting while operating their vehicles. When careless driving results in a car crash, the victim of that accident can pursue damages from the responsible driver.
If you are seriously injured due to the carelessness of another driver in Maine, contact one of our top car accident lawyers at Gideon Asen immediately. Our legal team can help you pursue a car accident claim to get you the money you need to pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses related to your injuries.
Why You Need Lawyers That Deal With Car Accidents in Maine
A driver’s license isn’t the only requirement for driving in Maine. Before you can operate a car on public roads, you are required to purchase car insurance that covers liability, medical payments, and uninsured motorists. This requirement is designed to ensure that all parties in a car accident have coverage.
In theory, this safety net should make it easy to pay your medical bills and other expenses after an auto accident. Unfortunately, insurance companies rarely make it easy.
Insurance companies are businesses. Like every business, their primary goal is to make money, and they do so by paying as little as possible to insurance claimants. Thus, the insurance company has a financial incentive to deny your claim or pay you less than its full value. And unfortunately, undervaluing a claim is very easy.
The insurance claim process is run by the insurance company. Agents from the insurer perform the investigation, determine fault, and make the final settlement offer. They want to believe they can be the judge and jury of their own claims. If you accept a car accident settlement from the insurance company, you also typically give up your right to take legal action against it for better compensation. And once you sign the paperwork, you usually can’t go back and get more if your situation gets worse later. You’ve already signed away your rights for good.
A car accident lawyer can help you get a fair settlement. The premier Maine car accident attorneys at Gideon Asen will investigate your claim, gathering and preserving evidence to support your case. This evidence is then presented to the insurer in a way that forces it to incorporate it into the car accident injury claim.
We also calculate the true value of your claim. Between the decades of combined experience that our car accident lawyers possess and our contacts in the medical profession, we can quickly and efficiently determine what your case is worth.
When our car accident attorneys begin negotiations for a fair settlement, they are always armed with evidence and knowledge of the law. This means we can recognize when an insurance company makes a bad offer and prevent you from accepting it.
Typically, this results in a fair settlement being reached in a reasonable amount of time. However, if the insurance company plays hardball or won’t negotiate in good faith, our car accident attorneys are always prepared to go to trial. We have plenty of courtroom experience and know how to get results.
Do you want to receive a fair settlement after suffering serious injuries in a car crash in Maine? Contact the Maine lawyers for a car accident at Gideon Asen today to schedule a free consultation.
The Importance of Determining Fault in Maine
In some states, it doesn’t matter who is at fault during a car accident. The insurance company of the person driving the car pays for medical bills, car repairs, and other costs regardless of fault. However, Maine is not that type of state.
In Maine, if you were responsible for a car accident, your car insurance would cover the costs of your injuries and the injuries of everyone in the other vehicle. However, that assumes that you were completely responsible for the crash.
Car accidents aren’t usually that simple, though. In many crashes, several parties are partially at fault. For example, suppose that the other driver was speeding in snowy conditions. Their recklessness would make them responsible for a crash. But if you pulled out in front of the other car on the road, your injuries might be partially be due to your own carelessness.
When insurance companies decide on fault, they apportion it between the parties responsible for the crash. In the example, an insurance company might determine that the other driver was 80% responsible for your injuries and you were 20% responsible. But how do you get compensation when the fault is apportioned like that?
Maine uses modified comparative negligence to divide compensation when multiple parties are at fault. Under this standard, you can take legal action against the other party to get compensation if you were less responsible for your injuries than they were. However, any settlement you receive is prorated based on relative levels of fault.
Insurance companies follow the same standard because they know that it will be applied if the case goes to trial. Often, a large part of settlement negotiations revolves around what percentage of fault the insurance company will apply to both parties.
If your car accident lawyer and the insurance company can’t agree, the only way to resolve the dispute is through a lawsuit. In the example previously discussed, this means that 20% of your expenses would be covered by your insurance policy (up to its limits), and the other 80% would be covered by the other driver’s insurance company.
Furthermore, you could potentially get additional compensation for your pain and suffering, though it would be reduced by 20%. Your insurance company will not give you any pain and suffering compensation.
These numbers can start to get confusing, especially when you are recovering from a serious injury. Contact our car accident law firm to schedule a free consultation with an attorney who can make this process a lot easier to understand and navigate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Maine?
Typically, you will have six years to file a lawsuit against the responsible party after suffering an injury in a car accident in Maine. However, there are several exceptions to this rule, so it’s critical that you speak with a lawyer so you don’t miss deadlines.
One important exception is when negligent driving results in a death. We call that a “wrongful death” claim. If you are filing a wrongful death claim because a loved one has died in a crash, the statute of limitations drops to two years from the date your loved one died. That is four years sooner than it would be if the same car crash caused a personal injury. These types of rules are why it’s so important to speak with a lawyer to understand your legal rights following a car accident.
While both of these timelines may seem relatively generous at first glance, time moves quickly when you are recovering from a serious car accident. You should contact Gideon Asen as soon as possible after a collision happens so that our lawyers can watch the clock for you.
Do I Have to Report a Car Accident in Maine?
You have to report a car accident if anyone is injured or there is more than $1,000 in property damage. Since almost any body damage will cost at least $1,000 to repair, that means you need to report all but the lightest of fender benders.
Typically, you will want to report a car accident. When you do so, the police will arrive, conduct an investigation, and produce an accident report. This document may serve as important evidence when you are filing an insurance claim or taking legal action against the other driver.
Can I Post About a Maine Car Accident on Social Media?
You can, but you shouldn’t. Anything you post about the accident becomes a public record, even if you think your privacy settings will keep that information from reaching anyone except for your closest friends or family. Those details could still become available to the insurance company of the other driver or the defendant in a lawsuit.
The safest approach, then, is to avoid sharing any information about your car accident until after your claim is resolved. However, if you do feel the need to share information, consult with the lawyers at Gideon Asen before posting anything.
Contact Maine Car Accident Law Firm Gideon Asen Today
Were you or a family member seriously injured in a car accident in Maine? If so, you may be eligible to seek compensation for the harm you suffered. Contact us as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation with car crash lawyers who care.
Taylor Asen on Auto Accidents
“An advantage of coming to a smaller firm is that Ben and I work on every case together. You also know that you will always be able to reach us. At Gideon Asen, our rule is that every client is our most important client.”
